JP2004130882A - Air-conditioner for vehicle with ion generator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air-conditioner for a vehicle equipped with an ion generator capable of exerting a sufficient disinfecting and deodorizing effect. <P>SOLUTION: The ion generator 10 to generate ions having at least a property to suit disinfecting and deodorizing is installed in a blowing passage for the air-conditioning wind at the target blowout temperature. The relation of the target blowout temperature TA required to obtain the target ion generation amount IA to the target suction temperature Tintα is decided previously. The capacity of a compressor 9 is controlled so that the actual suction temperature becomes the target suction temperature Tintα according to the target blowout temperature TA. Thereby it is possible to secure the specified target ion generation amount IA irrespective of the target blowout temperature TA. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner with an ion generator that blows air containing ions into a vehicle interior.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ion generator having both a relaxation effect, a disinfecting effect, and a deodorizing effect has been known (for example, see Patent Document 1). The ion generator switches the operation mode so that negative ions are generated when a relaxation effect is desired, and positive ions and negative ions are simultaneously generated when a sterilization effect is desired. This type of ion generator has the property that the higher the temperature of air in contact with the ion generator and the lower the humidity, the greater the amount of ion generation.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-216933 A
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In general, in a vehicle air conditioner, air that has been dehumidified and cooled by an evaporator is reheated by a heater core to obtain conditioned air having a target blowing temperature. In the case where the above-described ion generator is applied to such a vehicle air conditioner, the amount of ions generated decreases with a decrease in the target outlet temperature, and there is a possibility that a sufficient sterilization, deodorization effect, or relaxation effect may not be obtained. .
[0005]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner for a vehicle equipped with an ion generator, which can obtain a sufficient sterilization, deodorizing effect or relaxation effect.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The vehicle air conditioner with the ion generator according to the present invention is configured to guide the cooling air cooled by the evaporator to the heater core at a rate corresponding to the opening of the air mixing door to heat the air, thereby generating the conditioned air having a desired target blowing temperature. Air-conditioning unit that blows air into the passenger compartment, a compressor that pumps refrigerant to the evaporator, an ion generator that is installed in the air-conditioning air blowing path at the target blowing temperature, and the ion generator that has the specified sterilization and deodorizing performance Alternatively, the above-described object is achieved by providing compressor control means for controlling a compressor based on a target blow-out temperature so as to generate ions for obtaining a relaxation effect.
[0007]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, an ion generator is disposed in the air-conditioning air blowing path of the target blowing temperature, and based on the target blowing temperature so as to generate ions for obtaining a predetermined sterilization, deodorizing performance or relaxation effect. Since the compressor is controlled, a sufficient sterilization, deodorization, or relaxation effect can be obtained even when the target blowing temperature is lowered.
[0008]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle air conditioner with an ion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention. The air conditioning unit 100 has an evaporator 1 and a heater core 2 and is installed in a lower space in an instrument panel in front of a vehicle cabin. A refrigerant is pumped to the evaporator 1 by a compressor 9.
[0009]
A blower fan 4 is provided at the entrance of the duct 3 of the air conditioning unit 100, and the blower fan 4 is rotated by driving a blower motor 5. When the blower fan 4 rotates, inside air or outside air is sucked into the duct 3 via the inside / outside air switching door 6, and is cooled by passing through the evaporator 1. This cooling air passes through the heater core 2 at a rate corresponding to the opening of the air mix door 7 and is heated, or bypasses the heater core 2 as it is. The air that has passed through and bypassed the heater core 2 is mixed in the air mix chamber 8 downstream of the heater core 2 to produce conditioned air at a predetermined temperature. A center vent outlet 11a provided at the center of the instrument panel, side vent outlets 11b provided at both left and right ends, a foot outlet provided at a lower portion, and a defrost outlet provided near the front window. It is blown out into the cabin from such places.
[0010]
The air-conditioning controller 20 including a CPU, a memory, and the like includes an air temperature immediately after passing through the evaporator, that is, a suction temperature sensor 21 for detecting a degree of cooling of the evaporator 1, an odor sensor 22 for detecting an odor level in the vehicle compartment, A solar radiation sensor 23 for detecting Qsun, an inside air sensor 24 for detecting the vehicle interior temperature Tinc, an outside air sensor and 25 for detecting the outside air temperature Tamb, and a command unit 26 for outputting various air conditioning commands in accordance with switch operations, respectively. It is connected. The odor sensor 22 is mounted on the driver's seat side instrument panel, for example, facing the interior of the vehicle, and reads a change in conductivity due to adsorption of odor substances to detect an odor level. The command unit 26 inputs an auto air conditioner switch for commanding the operation of the auto air conditioner, an off switch for commanding to stop the air conditioner, a mode setting switch for setting the air conditioning mode, a fan switch for setting the air volume of the blower fan 4, and a set temperature Tinc. And a temperature adjustment dial.
[0011]
The air conditioning controller 20 performs a predetermined process based on the input signals from the sensors 21 to 25 and the command unit 26. Then, control signals are output to the blower motor 5, the inside / outside air switching door 6, the air mix door 7, the compressor 9, and the ion generator 10, and the driving of these is controlled. Hereinafter, the drive control of the compressor 9 and the ion generator 10 will be particularly described.
[0012]
The compressor 9 is of a variable displacement type, and a control signal is output from a controller 20 to an electromagnetic coil in a control valve incorporated in the compressor 9 to control the displacement of the compressor 9. In the present embodiment, the capacity of the compressor 9 is reduced in accordance with the target outlet temperature in order to achieve power saving without impairing air conditioning comfort. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, within a predetermined target outlet temperature range (T10 ≦ TA ≦ T20), the higher the target outlet temperature TA, the higher the suction temperature immediately after the evaporator (the target suction temperature Tint ′). Such a relationship is stored in a memory or the like in advance, and the compressor 9 is controlled so that the actual suction temperature becomes equal to the target suction temperature Tint '.
[0013]
As a result, the suction temperature does not become undesirably too low, the work amount of the compressor 9 is suppressed, and power saving can be realized. Here, the target suction temperature Tint 'is referred to as a first target suction temperature. The first target suction temperature Tint 'is a temperature at which both power saving and air conditioning comfort can be achieved. The target outlet temperature TA can be calculated by a well-known formula using the set temperature Tinc, the amount of solar radiation Qsun, the vehicle interior temperature Tinc, and the outside air temperature Tamb. In this case, the opening of the air mix door 7 is adjusted to the cool side by an amount corresponding to the reduction in the capacity of the compressor 9. On the other hand, when the opening degree of the air mix door 7 is adjusted to obtain the target blowing temperature TA based on a deviation between the current suction temperature and the target blowing temperature TA, the suction temperature may become undesirably too low depending on the operation state. The opening degree of the air mix door 7 is adjusted to the hot side to control the blowing temperature to a target value. As a result, the compressor 9 wastefully consumes power, which also has an adverse effect on fuel efficiency.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 1, the ion generator 10 is provided in the middle of a ventilation duct 12 that connects the air mix chamber 8 and a side vent outlet 11b on the driver's seat side. Since ions have a characteristic of easily disappearing when they collide with a wall surface of a duct or the like, it is preferable that the ion generator 10 be disposed as close as possible to the outlet 11b in order to efficiently discharge ions into the vehicle interior.
[0015]
The mode of the ion generator 10 can be switched between a mode in which the occupant is relaxed (refresh mode) and a mode in which the interior of the vehicle is mainly disinfected and deodorized (deodorant mode). Generates ions. For example, negative ions are generated in the refresh mode, and negative ions and positive ions are generated simultaneously in the deodorant mode. Such a configuration is known in the field of household air purifiers, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
[0016]
In the deodorant mode, the effect of reducing odor increases as the amount of generated ions increases. In order for the occupant to be able to experience this effect, the ion concentration around the occupant's face must be equal to or higher than the predetermined value Ia. The predetermined value Ia is obtained by an experiment or the like. In this case, the ions generated from the ion generator 10 are attenuated before reaching the occupant's face. Therefore, the ion generation amount (target ion generation amount IA) from the ion generator 10 for setting the ion concentration around the face to the predetermined value Ia is obtained by, for example, the following equation (I).
IA = Ia / c1 / c2 (I)
Here, c1: attenuation rate from the outlet 11b to the ion generator 10 c2: attenuation rate from the outlet 11b to the occupant's face
When the power consumption of the ion generator 10 is constant and the contact area of the ion generator with the air is constant, the amount of ion generation changes according to the temperature and humidity of the air in contact with the ion generator. FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the ion temperature I (t1, t2, t3, t4) and the relative humidity h (h1, h2, h3, h4) around the ion generating section and the ion generation amount I. As shown in FIG. 3, the higher the temperature t and the lower the humidity h, the larger the ion generation amount I. Here, the temperature t corresponds to the target outlet temperature TA. Therefore, once the target outlet temperature TA is determined, the relative humidity (target humidity hA) required to obtain the target ion generation amount IA can be obtained from the relationship in FIG. The amount of water in the air is determined by the air temperature and the humidity, and the amount of water under the target blowing temperature TA and the target humidity hA is defined as HA.
[0018]
By the way, since the water vapor is cooled and condensed in the evaporator 1, the relative humidity immediately after the evaporator becomes 100%. The relationship between the air temperature at a humidity of 100% and the amount of water in the air can be obtained from a well-known saturated water vapor pressure diagram. Using this saturated water vapor pressure diagram, the air temperature (target suction temperature Tintα) immediately after the evaporator, which is necessary to obtain the above-mentioned water content HA, can be obtained. Thereby, the target suction temperature Tintα corresponding to the target blowout temperature TA, that is, the target suction temperatures Tint1, Tint2, Tint3, and Tint4 corresponding to the respective target blowout temperatures t1, t2, t3, and t4 can be determined (step in FIG. 4). See S12).
[0019]
In the present embodiment, the relationship between the target outlet temperature TA and the target suction temperature Tintα determined as described above is stored in a memory in advance, and from this relationship, the target suction temperature Tintα corresponding to the target outlet temperature TA is determined as described later. Air-conditioning control (compressor control) is performed so that the air temperature immediately after the evaporator is equal to or higher than the target suction temperature Tintα. Thereby, the humidity around the ion generating section is controlled to be equal to or lower than the target humidity hA, and the target ion generation amount IA can be secured. Here, the target suction temperature Tintα is referred to as a second target suction temperature. The second target suction temperature Tintα indicates a degree of cooling of the evaporator 1 for securing a target ion generation amount.
[0020]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process related to drive control of the ion generator 10. This flowchart is started, for example, by turning on the auto air conditioner switch of the command unit 26. First, in step S1, it is determined whether or not the odor level α detected by the odor sensor 22 is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value α1. The reference value α1 is for determining whether or not the odor mode operation is necessary, and is set to, for example, a value at which the odor is anxious for ordinary people.
[0021]
When step S1 is affirmed, the process proceeds to step S2, in which a control signal is output to the ion generator 10, and the ion generator 10 is switched to the odor mode. Thereby, the ion generator 10 generates negative ions and positive ions. If step S1 is denied, the process proceeds to step S3, where a control signal is output to the ion generator 10, and the ion generator 10 is switched to the refresh mode. Thereby, the ion generator 10 generates negative ions. The operation of the ion generator 10 is stopped by operating the off switch. Note that, regardless of the odor level, manual operation of the ion generator 10 by operating a switch of the command unit 26 is also possible.
[0022]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process related to drive control of the compressor 9. This flowchart is started, for example, by turning on the auto air conditioner switch of the command unit 26. First, the operation mode of the ion generator 10 is determined in step S11. If it is determined that the mode is the odor mode, the process proceeds to step S12. If it is determined that the mode is the refresh mode, the process proceeds to step S13.
[0023]
In step S12, the suction temperature Tintα with respect to the target blowout temperature TA is calculated using the correspondence relationship between the target blowout temperature TA and the target suction temperature Tintα which is determined as described above. Here, the characteristic is set to have a hysteresis as shown in the figure. As a result, the capacity of the compressor 9 does not frequently change, and it is possible to prevent the compressor operation such as hunting from being adversely affected. When the target outlet temperature tA is constantly in a predetermined range (for example, between t1 and t2), the lower value (Tint1) is preferentially selected as the target suction temperature Tintα. Thereby, the relative humidity h around the ion generating portion is reduced, and more ions can be generated.
[0024]
When the target suction temperature Tintα is calculated in step S12, the process proceeds to step S14. In step S14, it is determined whether or not the target suction temperature Tintα (second target suction temperature Tintα) is higher than the first target suction temperature Tint ′ obtained from FIG. If step S14 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S15, and if negative, the process proceeds to step S13. In step S15, the second target suction temperature Tintα is set to the target suction temperature Tint ′, and in step S13, the first target suction temperature Tint ′ is set to the target suction temperature Tint. Next, in step S16, a control signal is output to the electromagnetic coil so that the suction temperature detected by the suction temperature sensor 21 becomes equal to the target suction temperature Tint. That is, when the actual suction temperature is lower than the target suction temperature Tint, the compressor capacity is decreased, and when the actual suction temperature is higher, the compressor capacity is increased so that the actual suction temperature matches the target suction temperature Tint.
[0025]
The operation of the present embodiment will be described more specifically.
(1) Refresh mode When the odor level is less than the reference value α1, the occupant does not care about the odor in the vehicle, and the refresh mode is set. In the refresh mode, the ion generator 10 generates negative ions by the above-described processing (step S3). Thereby, effects such as relaxing the occupant are provided. Further, since the target suction temperature Tint is set to the first target suction temperature Tint 'corresponding to the target outlet temperature TA (step S11 → step S13), the suction temperature does not undesirably decrease, and power saving is achieved. Air conditioning comfort can be compatible.
[0026]
(2) Odor mode When the odor sensor 22 detects an odor level equal to or higher than the reference value α1, the odor mode is set. In the odor mode, the ion generator 10 generates positive ions and negative ions by the above-described processing (step S2). At this time, if the first target suction temperature Tint 'is equal to or higher than the second target suction temperature Tintα, in other words, the degree of cooling of the evaporator 1 for power saving (corresponding to the first target suction temperature Tint'). When the degree of cooling for deodorization does not exceed the second target suction temperature Tintα, the first target suction temperature Tint ′ is set to the target suction temperature Tint (step S14 → step S13). As a result, power saving is achieved, and the evaporator 1 is cooled beyond the degree of cooling for deodorization. As a result, the humidity around the ion generating section becomes equal to or lower than the target humidity hA, and ions having the target ion generation amount IA or more can be generated, and a sufficient sterilizing and deodorizing effect can be exhibited.
[0027]
When the first target suction temperature Tint ′ is lower than the second target suction temperature Tintα in the odor mode, in other words, when the degree of cooling for power saving exceeds the degree of cooling for deodorization, the second Is set to the target suction temperature Tint (step S14 → step S15). As a result, the humidity around the ion generation section becomes the target humidity hA, and the target ion generation amount IA can be secured, and a sufficient sterilization and deodorization effect can be obtained. In this case, since the suction temperature is limited by the second target suction temperature Tintα and does not become undesirably too low, power saving can also be achieved. When the deodorant level is less than the reference value α1, the mode changes to the relax mode. This further promotes power saving.
[0028]
According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The ion generator 10 was disposed in the air duct 12, and the compressor 9 was controlled such that the suction temperature in the deodorizing mode became the target suction temperature Tintα. As a result, the humidity around the ion generating section becomes the target humidity hA, the target ion generation amount IA can be secured, and a sufficient sterilization and deodorizing effect can be obtained. Further, it is not necessary to increase the power consumption of the ion generator 10 or to increase the area of the ion generator in order to secure the target ion generation amount IA, so that power saving and downsizing of the apparatus can be achieved. .
(2) Correspondence relationship between the target blowing temperature TA and the target suction temperature Tintα for securing the target ion generation amount IA from the relationship between the air temperature t, the relative humidity h, and the ion generation amount I (FIG. 3) (step S12 in FIG. 5). ) Is calculated and the target suction temperature Tintα is calculated using this relationship, so that it is not necessary to actually measure the blow-out temperature t and the relative humidity h around the ion generating section, and an inexpensive system can be realized.
(3) The first target suction temperature Tint 'for power saving is compared with the second target suction temperature Tintα for deodorization, and the suction temperature is controlled to a lower value. Since the lower limit is limited, power saving can be realized, and ions having at least the target ion generation amount IA can be generated, and a sufficient deodorizing effect can be obtained. That is, both power saving and deodorizing effects can be achieved.
(4) Since the operation mode of the ion generator 10 is switched between the deodorant mode and the refresh mode according to the odor level, the occupant can be relaxed while appropriately removing the odor in the vehicle.
(5) In the refresh mode, since the suction temperature is always controlled to the first target suction temperature Tint 'for power saving, power saving can be maximized.
[0029]
It should be noted that the controller 20 in the above-described embodiment constitutes the calculating means, the first calculating means, and the second calculating means, respectively, and the second target suction temperature Tintα is the target suction temperature calculated by the first calculating means. In addition, the first target suction temperature Tint 'corresponds to the target suction temperature calculated by the second calculation means. The components for realizing each means are not limited to those described above.
[0030]
In the above embodiment, the suction temperature is controlled by the capacity control of the variable displacement compressor 9 to generate the target amount of ions IA. However, the suction temperature is controlled by the operation rate control by turning on and off the compressor. Is also good. Therefore, the compressor may be of a fixed displacement type.
[0031]
Although the suction temperature of the air immediately after the evaporator is detected by the suction temperature sensor 21, the degree of cooling of the evaporator 1 is directly detected by this. However, even if the degree of cooling of the evaporator 1 is detected by means other than the suction temperature. Good. The ion generator 10 may have only the deodorizing effect. In the above-described embodiment, by controlling the capacity of the compressor 9 based on the target outlet temperature TA, the opening degree of the air mix door 7 is adjusted while reducing the work amount of the compressor 9 to generate the conditioned air at the target outlet temperature TA. However, if control to ensure the deodorizing effect is performed, control for power saving is not necessarily required. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to a vehicle air conditioner that does not perform power saving control. Although the ion generator 10 is arranged in the upstream duct 12 of the side vent outlet 11b on the driver's seat side, the upstream duct of the side vent outlet 11b and the center vent outlet 11a (for example, the duct 13 in FIG. 1). ).
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle air conditioner with an ion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a relationship between a target outlet temperature and a suction temperature for power saving.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between an air temperature and a relative humidity around an ion generation unit and an ion generation amount.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process related to drive control of the ion generator of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing related to drive control of the compressor in FIG. 1;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Evaporator 2 Heater core 7 Air mix door 9 Compressor 10 Ion generator 20 Controller 21 Suction temperature sensor 22 Odor sensor 100 Air conditioning unit

Claims (6)

An air conditioning unit that guides the cooling air cooled by the evaporator to the heater core at a rate corresponding to the opening of the air mix door and heats the air, generates conditioned air at a desired target outlet temperature, and sends the air to the passenger compartment;
A compressor for pumping a refrigerant to the evaporator,
An ion generator arranged in a ventilation path of the conditioned air at the target blowing temperature;
Compressor control means for controlling the compressor based on the target blow-out temperature so that the ion generator generates ions for obtaining a predetermined sterilization, deodorizing performance or relaxation effect. Vehicle air conditioner with generator. The vehicle air conditioner with the ion generator according to claim 1,
Calculating means for calculating the degree of cooling of the evaporator required for generating ions for obtaining the predetermined sterilization, deodorizing performance or relaxation effect from the target blowing temperature;
The compressor control means controls the compressor so that the degree of cooling of the evaporator exceeds at least the degree of cooling calculated by the calculating means. The vehicle air conditioner with the ion generator according to claim 1,
Suction temperature detecting means for detecting a suction temperature of air immediately after the evaporator,
First calculating means for calculating a target suction temperature immediately after the evaporator necessary for generation of ions for obtaining the predetermined sterilization, deodorizing performance or relaxation effect from the target outlet temperature,
The ion generator, wherein the compressor control means controls the compressor such that the suction temperature detected by the suction temperature detection means is lower than at least the target suction temperature calculated by the first calculation means. -Equipped air conditioner for vehicles. The vehicle air conditioner with the ion generator according to claim 3,
Power saving means for adjusting the opening degree of the air mix door while reducing the work amount of the compressor to generate conditioned air at the target outlet temperature,
A second calculating means for calculating a target suction temperature immediately after the evaporator, which is necessary to generate the conditioned air at the target blowout temperature in a state where the work amount of the compressor is reduced,
The compressor control means, when the target suction temperature calculated by the first calculation means is smaller than the target suction temperature calculated by the second calculation means, sets the suction temperature detected by the suction temperature detection means to The compressor is controlled to be equal to the target suction temperature calculated by the first calculating means, and under other conditions, the compressor is controlled to be equal to the target suction temperature calculated by the second calculating means. A vehicle air conditioner with an ion generator. The vehicle air conditioner with the ion generator according to claim 3 or 4,
The ion generator has a deodorizing mode for generating ions having properties suitable for sterilization and deodorization, and a refresh mode for generating ions having properties suitable for refreshing an occupant.
Odor detection means for detecting the odor level in the vehicle;
Ion control means for switching the ion generator to the deodorant mode when the odor level detected by the odor detection means is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, and for switching the ion generator to the refresh mode otherwise. A vehicle air conditioner with an ion generator, comprising: The vehicle air conditioner with the ion generator according to claim 5,
The compressor control means is configured to switch the ion generator to the deodorizing mode by the ion control means, and to set a target suction temperature calculated by the first calculation means by a target calculated by the second calculation means. When the suction temperature is lower than the suction temperature, the compressor is controlled such that the suction temperature detected by the suction temperature detecting means is equal to the target suction temperature calculated by the first calculating means. And controlling the compressor so as to be equal to the target suction temperature calculated by the calculating means.

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